At birth, Rick Hoyt was diagnosed as a “spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy”. His parents Dick and Judy Hoyt were told that there was little chance for Rick to live a “normal life”. This didn’t deter them from doing their best to include Rick in everyday activities.
Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
And that was how Team Hoyt began.
